Benefits of Breastfeeding
It's round 2 for me - I am 20 weeks pregnant with my second child! And we just found out it's a little boy! We are so excited to add a boy to our little family. I am excited for a playmate for my daughter, a mama's boy for me, and a little buddy for my husband. And because of this little bundle on the way, I am once again preparing my body for one of the more difficult challenges of my adult life - breastfeeding.
I'm not going to put it lightly - this was very difficult with my first. Although my supply was good, her latch was not and therefore I dealt with sore, cracked, and bleeding nipples for months. Not to mention the round-the-clock nursings, multiple times/day pumping, etc. It was difficult, but was it worth it? In my opinion, absolutely and I will be doing it again with #2.
I recently read that studies on benefits of breastfeeding are conflicted. All that work and studies are conflicted? No significant benefits to breastfeeding (other than it's free, of course!)?
Well, this saddens me - not because I truly feel there may be no benefits to breastfeeding but because:
- Mothers who read this may give up on breastfeeding before they start
- Our diets have become so nutrient poor that our breastmilk is no better than formula
#2 really gets me. There is nothing in my mind that can tell me that if you compare a Paleo mother's milk to a SAD mother's milk that there will not be significant differences. I'd love to take samples of Paleo milk and compare them to both SAD milk and formula to see the differences in nutrient content. I'd also love to compare the babies fed those diets to look for differences in allergens, IQ, and other common child illnesses. Wouldn't that be interesting? Who can help me with this?
There are a few key factors to why I believe a Paleo diet is ideal for breastfeeding as compared to a standard american diet. And the biggest factor is that people on the Paleo diet are (typically) not afraid to consume large amounts of fat. In addition, Paleo eaters do not consume processed foods whose ingredients can actually block nutrient absorption. Fats are such a controversial issue right now and it is amazing that despite all of the recent research, people are still afraid to consume fat. Read below to see why consuming high levels of fat are such an important part of breastfeeding.
Cholesterol is so important that mother's milk has enzyme to ensure the baby absorbs 100% of it. Cholesterol is critical to formation of brain, digestive tract, and nervous system. Cholesterol is not the nasty-gram that Dr.'s once warned you about. You need it and your baby needs it. Eat your (high quality - grass fed - organic) EGGS! Eat the fat on your meat! You need this and your baby will thank you for it!
Long chain PUFAs are required for babies nervous system development. Lack of these can cause developmental delays, learning disabilities, and lack of visual acuity. Long-chain PUFA deficiency is also being linked to ADHD. So what does this mean for you? Take your Omega-3 supplements. Eat fatty fish at least 2x/week. And that old myth about not eating fish because of high level mercury levels - throw it in the trash. While the mercury levels are rising in our sealife (something which does need to be addressed), they are not to a level that is harful for you - especially since when ingested, mercury attaches itself to Selenium (also very high in fish) and becomes indigestible. The benefits of eating fish GREATLY outweigh the risks.
Euricic Acid - long cain MUFA are harmful. These are found in industrial seed oils, soy and vegetable oil and actually coat the inside of the intestines, blocking nutrient absorption. Avoid these at all costs during both pregnancy and breastfeeding for proper nutrient absorption.
A low-carb, high-fat diet means that mothers will be eating less calories from carbs, and needing to replace those with calories from fat - some experts say pregnant and nursing mothers should be getting 50-60% of their calories from high quality fat sources, 20% from protein, and 20% from carbs. Don't get me wrong, your body and your baby do need carbs, so ensure you are eating some each day (fruit, starchy vegetables, etc.)
So are there benefits to breasfeeding? Who am I to say? I haven't done the research myself - I don't have access to a lab where I can test these things, but I don't disagree with most studies that say "no" if they are comparing formula to Standard American Diet breastmilk. However, how does milk stack up against formula if it's being created from high-fat, high-quality, nutrient dense foods? you can't tell me there aren't any benefits there. So I will be nursing baby #2. I will deal with the cracked, sore, and bleeding nipples, the late night feedings, the pumping sessions in a closet at work - because it's worth it.
